NEW ON THE SHELF

“CHERNOBYL DIARIES,” starring Jesse McCartney and Jonathan Sadowski. From the fertile creative mind of co-writer Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”) comes this equally horrific you-are-there horror, which sends six hapless travelers on a singularly unrelaxing tour of the abandoned city of Pripyat, former home to the ill-fated employees of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Leading the way is Uri (Dimitri Diatchenko), an “extreme tour guide” who clearly knows more about the inherent dangers of the town than he’s letting on. Special features include an alternate ending. Rated R. Running time: 1:26

Suggested retail price: $28.98; Blu-ray $35.99

“MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED,” animated with the voices of Ben Stiller and Jada Pinkett Smith. Third time’s the charm for this genial comedy series, as this entry improves considerably upon its already quite entertaining predecessors, delivering what critics and audiences agree to be a flat-out hilarity for any age bracket. The contributions of co-writer Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”) clearly account for some of this upturn in quality, but the European backdrop — where the chaos-prone animals join up with a traveling circus — adds a touch of class as well. One of the most pleasant surprises of the year, and a surefire winner whether you’re a fan of the series or not. Rated PG. Running time: 1:33

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99

“MOONRISE KINGDOM,” starring Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. The latest Wes Anderson joint is a ’60s tale of young love struggling to thrive in an adult world of restrictions and responsibilities. The lovebirds in question are capable but disillusioned Boy Scout Sam and daydreaming lighthouse dweller Suzy (impressive newcomers Gilman and Hayward), pen pals who agree to flee their respective caretakers for a chance to be alone — a decision that results in their entire island community organizing a search party, with unexpected, touching and often very funny results. Joining the search party are scoutmaster Edward Norton, parents Bill Murray and Frances McDormand, and police officer Bruce Willis, to name a few. A gem that stands out even among Anderson’s uniformly excellent oeuvre. Special features include a tour of the set with Murray. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:34

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98

“THAT’S MY BOY,” starring Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. Another box-office misfire for Sandler, this proudly repugnant comedy wears its R rating like a badge of honor, crudely relating the appalling tale of Donny (Sandler), who at the tender age of 13 fathered a child (Samberg) with his soon-to-be-imprisoned schoolteacher. The child understandably became estranged from dear old dad, not only due to the unfortunate circumstances of his conception, but as a result of Donny’s constant carousing and generally boorish behavior. Turning up unexpectedly before Todd’s impending wedding hoping to reconcile, Donny creates all manner of scatological and sophomoric havoc, and while one can’t argue with the accusations of questionable taste lobbed by every critic known to man, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t laugh. Fans of Sandler’s earlier, gleefully stupid ’90s comedies such as “Billy Madison” and “The Waterboy” are most likely to enjoy this one. Rated R. Running time: 1:56

Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99

“MAD MEN: SEASON FIVE,” starring Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss. Still arguably the best show on television, “Mad Men” shows no signs of losing steam in its fifth season, with the seemingly indestructible Don Draper (Hamm) in danger of losing his edge, straight-laced Pete and incurable cad Roger at each other’s throats, and Lane at odds with his demanding father. Not rated; contains language, sexual content and thematic material. Running time: 10:11

Suggested retail price: $49.98; Blu-ray $49.99

NEW TO BLU-RAY

“AVATAR,” animated with the voices of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. For the seven or eight of you who haven’t already seen it, James Cameron’s CGI megahit is now available in a collectible 3D/Blu-ray/DVD package, rendering the visuals as eye-popping as technologically possible — at least until someone invents a new dimension. Rated PG-13. Running time: 3:42

Suggested retail price: $39.99

“LOONEY TUNES PLATINUM COLLECTION: VOLUME TWO,” animated with the voice of Mel Blanc. It seems inconceivable that most kids today have no idea who Bugs Bunny or Porky Pig are, but the frequently brilliant and once-inescapable Looney Tunes franchise has quietly faded into the background in recent years in the wake of Spongebob, Phineas & Ferb and the like. Thankfully, the Platinum Collections ensure that collectors and longtime fans can not only relive the glory days of such characters as Yosemite Sam and Daffy Duck, but introduce them to a younger generation. Not rated; contains comic violence. Running time: 7:50

Suggested retail price: $44.98

VIDEOPORT PICK

“CHECK IT OUT! WITH DR. STEVE BRULE: SEASON ONE AND TWO,” starring John C. Reilly and Tim Heidecker. In this spin-off from Adult Swim’s popular “Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job” surrealist comedy series, the always entertaining Reilly eerily and hilariously embodies the curiously vacant and questionably qualified Dr. Brule, who incompetently hosts an ultra low-budget local newsmagazine program, uncomfortably introducing areas of interest about the town and providing dubious health and fitness tips. Not only the type of spot-on local access parody that Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim do so well, “Check It Out!” mostly eschews the weird for weird’s sake ethos that puts off some viewers, resulting in a laugh-out-loud lampoon that gives Reilly free reign to indulge in the bizarrely hilarious improv at which he so excels. Not rated; contains crude humor. Running time: 1:06

Suggested retail price: $19.97

– Courtesy of Videoport